Kamloops council chambers descends into chaos with the mayor removed as chair, spectators forced to leave

An unbridled blanket apology from the mayor of Kamloops in the aftermath of last week’s report from municipal adviser Henry Braun quickly took a wild turn as Hamer-Jackson began speaking to confidential information.

“Early into my term, the CAO sent an email out to councillors with accusations of me threatening to fire him. After I confronted him he admitted, you did not threaten me,” said Hamer-Jackson onto the record.

“Mr. Mayor that is confidential information,” interjected Acting CAO Byron McCorkell.

“It’s not,” responded Hamer-Jackson.

“Mr. Mayor, the information you are referring to is protected, private information and you are not to speak about it in an open forum,” stated Deputy Corporate Officer Amanda Passmore.

At that point the mayor continued to speak to the matter between himself and the CAO, prompting a highly unusual move by Councillor Stephen Karpuk.

“But if that CAO makes a very damaging claim that he later admits is false,” continued Hamer-Jackson.

“Point of order, I would like to challenge the chair,” said Karpuk. “I would like to challenge the chair, whether the chair is sustained. I would like a vote on that please.”

By challenging the chair, under the Community Charter, council moved to place Deputy Mayor Kelly Hall as the chair for the remainder of the meeting with Hamer-Jackson able to stay as a member of the table.

“It is the ability of a member of this group here in this room to challenge the chair. And at that point the chair, does not get a vote. It is a very important factor that was raised as a tool that we have, it’s not something we take lightly. I’m not really happy that I had to do it. But it is something that is there for simple civil governance,” stated Karpuk during his councillors’ report.

With the mayor relegated from his usual post, a number of outbursts from the public gallery forced both council to leave chambers and CSOs to remove people.

Council did return shortly after two spectators were asked to leave chambers. Following the meeting, the procedure used by staff and council was made clear.

“We are not trying to step into that process of the public being able to come here and address issues and speak directly to council,” said Ken Uzeloc, protective services director for the City of Kamloops. “What we don’t condone his behaviours that aren’t in accordance and respectful of having that ability of being able to come and do that or behaviours that would contradict a respectful workplace that this is.”

“(The councillors leaving the chambers) is a mechanism of Robert’s Rules of Order. By exiting, there is no quorum and the meeting can’t continue, so there is no council for individuals to speak to. And then secondarily, not that it’s not the primary, but it’s about safety as well,” outlined Passmore.

Hamer-Jackson calls for truth

Following the regular meeting and during a closed meeting of council that he was not attending, Mayor Hamer-Jackson spoke to CFJC News to share his view of the latest drama at city hall.

“Transparency and things. I mean they are going back behind closed meeting again. And again they go in and out of these closed meeting and they spend three hours in there and I just think we need to stop the closed meetings and get it out to the public — the truth,” said Hamer-Jackson.

Asked about the two supporters that were asked to leave chambers, Hamer-Jackson admitted the way they went about voicing their displeasure was not correct.

Overall, the mayor stands by the comments made last week in the wake of the Braun report, stating he expects either an apology or a court case.

“I’m just trying to get to the truth here. I told Mr. Braun right from the get-go,” stated Hamer-Jackson.

by Michael Reeve

Kamloops council chambers descends into chaos with the mayor removed as chair, spectators forced to leave

Hamer-Jackson calls for truth

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